Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Campaigners condemn Glitter sentence cut

Tim Moynihan,Ruth Barnett,Pa
Wednesday 07 February 2007 12:37 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Campaigners seeking to protect children were "disappointed" today after Gary Glitter's child-molestation sentence was cut by a Vietnamese court.

The former glam rocker's three-year jail term was reduced by three months as part of a nationwide Lunar New Year prison amnesty.

The singer, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was sentenced to three years in jail in March 2006 for assaulting the girls aged 11 and 12. He has been in prison since November 2005.

He will be released in August 2008, said Tran Thi Thien Huong, a judge on the deciding panel.

Vietnam traditionally reduces the sentences of inmates with good prison records just before Tet, as the Lunar New Year is known in Vietnam.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "Mr Gadd received a sentence reduction of three months, bringing his release date forward to August 2008."

Christine Beddoe, director of Ecpat UK, the British arm of the international campaign to End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes, said: "We are disappointed to hear of a reduction. Ecpat UK fully believes that Paul Gadd should serve the fullest sentence in order to protect children in Vietnam and the rest of the world.

"We believe that the British Government must request his deportation at the end of his sentence and immediate return to the UK and he should be put on the Sex Offenders' Register."

Le Thanh Kinh, the 62-year-old singer's lawyer, has been quoted as saying: "Glitter is an old man, and he is not in good health. And he has paid compensation to the victims as required by the court."

He was ordered to give 5 million Vietnamese dong (£180) to the girls' families after his conviction.

In 1999, Glitter was jailed for four months in Britain for possessing child pornography.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in